Prosecutors rule out sons of NJ hospital CEO as suspects in arson death

Prosecutors say they have ruled out as arson suspects the four sons of a New Jersey hospital chief executive found dead in a house fire last month, but the investigation is still underway.

John Sheridan Jr., 72, the CEO and president of Cooper University Health System, and his wife Joyce, 69, were found dead Sept. 28 in the master bedroom of their Montgomery Township home.

"At this point in our investigation, we are very confident that the four sons of John and Joyce Sheridan played no role in the death of their mother and father," Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey Soriano said in a statement on Saturday.

John Sheridan had a long career in New Jersey state government, serving as transportation commissioner to former Governor Thomas Kean and on the transition team for the current governor, Chris Christie, both Republicans. Sheridan joined Cooper in 2005 and became president and chief executive in 2008. (Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere in Seattle; Editing by Grant McCool)